With Thanksgiving officially over, the Christmas season is upon us. For me, it began as soon as my mother unwrapped our brand new fiber optic angel (that, in fact, does not light up). For others, it started the moment the clock struck midnight on Halloween. Regardless of where you lie on the spectrum, soon enough people are going to start bothering you about your favorite Christmas movie. You may not want to say “Home Alone” or “Christmas Vacation” because everyone has already seen those. You may want to keep the family on their toes. So you say, ““I doubt you’ve seen it, it’s really obscure,” or something equally cryptic. Today I offer you three movies to appease your friends and family. This is the year they finally realize you’re more than a college student—you’re a weirdo. Enjoy!
Jack Frost (1998)
For the first half of this movie, I was convinced the anthropomorphic snowman (our main character) was going to snap and murder everyone. I was disappointed to find out that I was completely wrong. Instead, we have Michael Keaton, who plays Jack Frost, come back from the dead in order to make up for his parenting mishaps. I would say this was heartwarming, but I’m afraid it’d melt him. “Jack Frost” is a cheesy Christmas movie and one that you can watch with a couple of friends. The CGI isn’t the best, and the story is a bit silly, but I did get a lot of laughs out of it—even if I was bamboozled.
Krampus (2015)
If you want to watch a literal manifestation of someone checking to see if you’re naughty or nice, this is the film for you. Krampus, a demon from German folklore, hunts down a family who forgot the true meaning of Christmas. The family is realistically flawed—they argue about politics, complain about sharing rooms, and are often at each other’s throats. But, ultimately, they come together to remember that no matter what, they are still a family, and they love each other, especially while struggling for survival.
Mixed Nuts (1994)
There is no way to properly describe this fever dream of a movie. Everything that can go wrong does. The film follows several different people living their lives in a world that is chaotic and hopeless. There is Philip, who loves to help people but is a miserable recluse. He runs a mental health support line and employs Mrs. Munchnik, a widow who just wants to go to her dead husband’s sister’s house for dinner, and Catherine, who is desperately in love with Philip. There’s also Gracie and Felix, an expecting couple who are broke and miserable. And the tree eventually becomes a dead body. It’s a strange life they live, and the movie leaves viewers curious to see where the story goes. The plot, while convoluted, is neatly tied up in the end and the characters end up happy, even if it seems impossible. Because that’s Christmas—crazy, weird and miraculous.
No matter what you decide to watch for the holidays, remember to be kind to retail workers and the ones you love. The last few years have been rough, and now is the time to reconnect, (even if you’re a couple of mixed nuts).
Merry Christmas and have a Happy New Year!
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